May is National Electrical Safety Month, and the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is launching a public awareness campaign to promote the importance of electrical safety and educate key audiences about steps to prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities in the home and workplace.
Electrical Fires and Child Safety
An estimated 53,000 electrical fires occur in homes each year, claiming more than 450 lives and injuring more than 1,400 people. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, children are one of the highest-risk groups for deaths in residential fires. Most of these can be avoided by taking simple safety precautions.
The Importance of Educating Children About Electrical Safety
“Using electricity has become such a part of our children’s daily lives that we may tend to take the safety of their electrical toys and appliances for granted,” says ESFI president Brett Brenner. “By teaching our children about how electricity works and where it is found, we can each do our part in educating our children to prevent electrical accidents.”
Top Electrical and Fire Safety Tips for Kids
Help keep your children safe from indoor and outdoor electrical dangers by ensuring they are familiar with these important electrical and fire safety tips:
- Keep liquids, including drinks, away from electrical items such as TVs, video game consoles, and computers. They could spill and cause dangerous shocks or fires.
- Never play with electrical cords, light sockets, or electrical outlets.
- Do not overload outlets with too many plugs.
- Never yank on the cord to unplug an appliance. Hold on to the plug itself.
- If you see a broken electrical cord in your house, tell an adult. The adult should replace the cord. Never try to repair it.
- If you drop an appliance in water, do not try to get it. Have an adult shut off the power supply to your home before retrieving the item.
- Never play near substations or power transformers.
- Do not play or fly kites near power lines. If your kite gets caught in a power line, let go of the kite.
- When there is lightning, stay away from trees and get inside.
- Have smoke alarms on every level of your home and inside each bedroom.
- Make sure you have at least two ways out of each room.
- Have a family escape plan for what to do in case there is a fire.
For more information about ESFI and National Electrical Safety Month, visit: www.electrical-safety.org.
About ESFI
The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety. ESFI proudly sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May and engages in public education campaigns throughout the year to prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities in the home and the workplace.
